Karnataka: Couple found dead in Mandya, caste killing suspected

Police have questioned the woman’s father and uncle, and an investigation is under way.

A man and woman from different castes who had married in August were found dead near the Shivanasamudra Falls in Karnataka’s Mandya district this week, leading to suspicion that this was a caste killing. Nandesh, 25, was found dead on Tuesday, while Swathi’s body was found in the same place on Thursday morning.The police have questioned Swathi’s father, uncle and another relative, and an investigation is under way.

Nandesh’s younger brother N Shankar had filed a police complaint on Wednesday as the couple had not returned to their home in Hosur four days after they left for a relative’s house in another village. Shankar told police that the couple had married in a temple in Krishnagiri district in August and were living in Hosur since then. He also said that Swathi’s family had been unhappy with the marriage.

“When we found the bodies, we did not know if it was suicide or murder,” a Belakavadi police official told The News Minute. “However, we found that Nandesh’s younger brother, Shankar, had reported the couple missing and a complaint was filed at the Hosur Police Station on the night of November 14.”

Nandesh belonged to the Dalit community, while Swathi was from the dominant Vanniyar caste, according to the First Information Report. Nandesh’s parents had agreed to the marriage but Swathi’s father had refused to allow her to marry a Dalit man, and had prevented her from leaving the house. She managed to leave her home one day in August and got married the next day, the police said.

“We are investigating the case,” said Shiva Prakash Devaraju, the superintendent of police of Mandya. “We have not arrested anyone so far.”